Stephen Bunting is set to return to the Premier League for the first time in 10 years, earning a place as one of four wildcard selections for the main darts roadshow event.
He is joined in the wildcard category by Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall and Chris Dobey, rounding off the eight-man line-up for the 2025 competition.
The Premier League starts on February 6 in Belfast.
The four join the automatically qualified top four players on the PDC Order of Merit: newly crowned world champion and reigning Premier League champion Luke Littler, world number 1 Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross.
Bunting, ranked No. 5, is the highest-ranked player outside of the automatic qualifiers.
His outstanding 2024 season, highlighted by a semi-final run at the World Darts Championship and second place at the PDC Players Championship, makes him a worthy inclusion.
Chris Dobey, nicknamed “Hollywood”, also had an impressive year, reaching the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship before losing to van Gerwen to secure three Players Championship titles in 2024.
Class of 2025 🎓
Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Stephen Bunting, Gerwyn Price, Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall
It all starts in Belfast on February 6… Let’s go ✅
👉 https://t.co/C8DHdQrRUB pic.twitter.com/ZnrMJVwpt1
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 6, 2025
Premier League line-up for 2025
The full Premier League 2025 roster includes:
- Luke Humphries
- Luke Littler
- Michael van Gerwen
- Rob Cross
- Stephen Bunting
- Gerwyn Price
- Chris Dobey
- Nathan Aspinall
Several big names missed out on selection this year, including World No.6 Dave Chisnall, 2023 World Champion Michael Smith and 2021 Premier League Champion Jonny Clayton.
Former world champions Peter Wright and Gary Anderson were also left out, with Wright missing the Premier League for the first time since 2013.
Mike De Decker, the reigning World Grand Prix champion, became the first player in history to miss out on a place in the Premier League after winning the title.
Commenting on these decisions, PDC chief executive Matt Porter said: “Obviously with Price, Dobey and Aspinall, there are players above them in the rankings who have not been selected, but we have looked at it in terms of presence on the big stage, popularity, and the way they can get an audience of 10,000 people every Thursday.
“We want people on the edge of their seats. We want people to be awake and enjoy darts. That doesn’t mean other players can’t. You have to decide who is right at that moment.”
The Premier League follows a knockout format, with each event featuring a group of eight players.
During the first seven weeks, each player will face each other competitor once in the first round. The games are repeated in Weeks 9-15, while the games in Weeks 8 and 16 are based on the league standings.
in 2025 @BetMGMUK The Premier League is upon us… 🙌
Here are the eight stars who will fight for the Premier League title in 2025 🏆
👉 https://t.co/C8DHdQrk53 pic.twitter.com/TbWqE28ETu
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 6, 2025
After 16 weeks, the top four players in the league rankings will progress to the semi-finals and final, which take place at the O2 in London.
The semi-finals are contested in the format of the best of 19 legs, and the final is played in 21 legs.
Premier League schedule for 2025
Here is the complete schedule of this year’s Premier League:
- Night 1: The SSE Arena, Belfast – Thursday 6 February
- Night 2: OVO Hydro, Glasgow – Thursday 13 February
- Night 3: 3Arena, Dublin – Thursday, February 20
- Night 4: Westpoint Exeter – Thursday 27 February
- Night 5: The Brighton Center – Thursday 6 March
- Night 6: Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday, 13.3
- Night 7: Utilita Arena, Cardiff – Thursday, 20.3
- Night 8: Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday, 27.3
- Night 9: Uber Arena, Berlin – Thursday, April 3
- Night 10: AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday, 10.4
- Night of the 11th: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam – Thursday, April 17
- Night of the 12th: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday, 24.4
- Night of the 13th: Utilita Arena, Birmingham – Thursday, May 1
- Night of the 14th: First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday 8 May
- Night of the 15th: P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday 15th May
- Night of the 16th: Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday, May 22
- Round robin: O2, London – Thursday, May 29
